England's under 21s have been crowned European Champions after beating Spain 1-0 at the Adjarabet Arena in Georgia on Saturday. The match had plenty of late drama, four red cards and a whole host of tense moments, but it was Lee Carsley's men that came out on top.
The Three Lions started the match the better of the two sides as Anthony Gordon, Morgan Gibbs-White and Cole Palmer had their chances to open the scoring. Spain then grew into the game and had plenty of chances that just narrowly missed James Trafford's goal frame.
Levi Colwill seemed to have the best chance of the half as his header from a corner hit the post, but there was still another twist to come before the half-time whistle. Palmer's free-kick from the edge of the box took a deflection off of Liverpool star Curtis Jones to fly into the back of the net.
The celebrations sparked a mass brawl as England coach Ashley Cole was sent off alongside a Spanish coach in the aftermath from a VAR check. The second half saw plenty of chances for both teams, but there was some late drama still come as Colwill's challenge in the box was checked by the referee.
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The resulting decision was a penalty, offering a chance for Spain to draw level in stoppage time through striker Abel Ruiz. Up stepped Trafford as the hero on the day, making a huge double save from the spot before the second rebound was blasted over the bar for a goal kick.
The final whistle went to rapturous scenes from England as Arsenal star Emile Smith Rowe was joined by Chelsea's Colwill and Noni Madueke and Tottenham's Oliver Skipp. It makes a wait of nearly 40 years for the Three Lions to win a competition at under-21 level and could suggest there's plenty of promise for the senior team in the future.
